A tray full of perfect green sprouts can collapse overnight. Stems pinch at the soil line, leaves flop, and what looked like a promising start turns into a soggy mess. Grow lights glow overhead, timers click on schedule, and yet the seedlings still fall. That frustration points to a hard truth: light alone never guarantees healthy starts.
Damping off does not care how expensive the setup looks. It strikes when conditions favor the fungi and fungus-like organisms that attack tender stems and roots. Gardeners often blame weak seeds or bad luck, but the real culprits hide in moisture levels, airflow, soil choice, and temperature.
